Massage device



PATENTED SEPT. 20, 1904.

H. A. DOW.

MASSAGE DEVICE.

APPLICATION rum) JAN. 22, 1904.

N0 MODEL.

,LEE

e x f! Z Event/:11".

, UNITED STATES Patented September 20, 1904.

HIRAM A. DOW, OF BATTLEGREEK, MICHIGAN.

MASSAGE DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 770,519, dated September 20, 1904,

Application filed January 22, 1904. Serial No. 190,189. (No model.)

T0 to whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HIRAM A. Dow, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Battlecreek, in the county of Calhoun and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Massage-Vibrators, of which the following is a specification, reference being bad therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to that class of massage-vibrators which are operated electrically, the object being to provide a light and compact instrument that can be readily carried about and attached to any ordinary lampsocket.

I am aware that more or less cumbersome devices for producing mechanical vibratory action for massage purposes have been devised to operate with flexible cord, pneumatic, and other agents; but the construction and operation of these appliances heretofore necessitated a restricted field, for the reason that the patient must be brought to the fixed station of the machine, which is often inconvenient and in many cases impossible.

My improvement consists in providing. a strictly portable instrument for the use of physicians, barbers, &c., or patients at their homes, whereby the sick and afflicted may be treated as often and in the manner the nature of the case requires.

My device is arranged to deliver light or heavy and rapid vibrations as desired, as will hereinafter be explained.

The application and value of massage vibration in the treatment of nervous and kindred disorders and for stimulating the action at nerve centers, cords, and muscles, as well as enlarged sectional elevation of the operating parts.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section of the vibrator-bar with yoke attached. Figs. 5

and 6 are enlarged views showing elastic tips to soften the action. Fig. 7 shows the eccentric lernbraced within a loose ring to reduce friction at this point.

A represents the motor-casing.

B is the handle.

0 is the vibrator-bar casing.

D is the motor-casing cap.

E is the upper handle-bracket with ferrule.

F is the lower handle-bracket with ferrule.

G is the thumb-button to handle-switch.

H is the coupling attached to the vibratorbar, to which the bar-tips K are. detachably secured by screw-thread engagement.

L is the impinging-point of bar-tip, preferably made of an elastic material.

a is the vibrator-bar.

Z) is the motor-spindle.

c is the eccentric on the upper end of the motor-spindle.

d is the yoke, secured to the vibrator-bar and engaging the eccentric.

e is the switch-stem, which I prefer to make of halrd rubber or other non-conducting materia f is a washer fixed in the handle-bore and serves to guide the lower end of the switchstem and also form a stop to the movement of the switch-plug.

g h i are the contact-points of the switch.

0 is an opening in the lower handle-ferrule for insertion of the cable-cord.

n p are screws to attach wires of cable-cord t0 switch-strips ta.

m is an insulating-strip between the switchstrips.

.9 is a coil-spring normally holding the switch-plug out of contact with the points it z is a loose ring embracing the eccentric.

As it is obvious that any suitable electric motor may be used to operate the device, itis not deemed necessary to particularize, either by description or illustration, further than to state that I prefer to make the casing A of spherical form and attach the handle-brackets and casing-cap as shown.

The wired connections I make as follows: from lamp-cord one wire to p, the other to motor-terminal, the other motor-terminal to n.

The operation is as follows: The handle being grasped and the thumb-button Gr depressed, current is passed to the motor and the motor-shaft 6, revolving with its terminal eccentric engaging yoke OZ, which is secured to the vibrator-bar, as previously explained, a rapid reciprocating motion is communicated to the latter, which will continue so long as the button is depressed. By providing various bar-tips having different degrees of elasticity and size the force of vibration and-the area of surface operated upon may be limited or modified as desired. I may attach a suspending-cord to the upper handle-bracket at E, passing vertically over a ceiling-pulley to pendent weight to counterbalance the weight of the machine; but I do not confine myself handle havingbracket-arms embracing the handle ends and connected to a spherical motor-casing, having an eccentric on the upper end of its spindle, a yoke engaging the same, avibrator-bar attached to the yoke,and switch mechanism inclosed Within the hollow handle having a projecting thumb-button, substantially as shown and described.

3. In an electric massage-vibrator, the hollow handle, B, with inclosed switch mechanism, the bracket-arms E, F, the vibrator-bar a, casing (J, yoke (Z, eccentric 0, and coupling H, spindle-tip K, and motor-casing A, substantially as shown and described.

4. In an electric massage-vibrator, a motorcasing of spherical form, having an eccentric on its upper spindle end, a ring loosely embracing the eccentric and engaging a yoke attached to a vibrator-bar, together with bracketarms supporting a handle having switch mechanism inclosed, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HIRAM A. DOW.

Witnesses:

S. A. FUHRMAN, A. B. HoLooMB. 

